The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 02, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 21, 1998
Edward Ira Engel, Hamilton, OH (US);
Square D Company, Palatine, IL (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for providing precise alignment between primary and secondary contacts mounted on a circuit breaker and associated stationary primary and secondary contacts located with substantial precision with respect to X, Y and Z coordinates and mounted on a back panel of a switchgear breaker compartment. A locking/locate cradle is provided with two generally parallel guide rails that slidably receive and support the circuit breaker within the breaker compartment. The precise X, Y and Z-axes alignment of the guide rails with the X, Y and Z axes position of the stationary primary and secondary contacts on the back panel is crucial for proper mating and connection with the associated breaker primary and secondary contact. The back panel is provided with at least one alignment slot having two indexing sections spaced apart by an aligning section. The two indexing sections are located with substantial precision with respect to X, Y and Z coordinates of the back panel and the X, Y and Z coordinate position of the stationary primary and secondary contacts mounted on the back panel. At least one of the guide rails is provided with a locking tab, which is frictionally received within the alignment slot. The alignment section of the alignment slot is dimensioned to permit a locking tab having X-axis misalignment to be inserted in the alignment slot and shaped to direct the misaligned locking tab into proper X-axis alignment with the back panel. The locking tab also includes a Z-axis alignment slot which interlocks with a top edge of the alignment slot to provide Z-axis alignment between the guide rail and the back panel. This interlocking of the Z-axis alignment slot and the top of the alignment slot also locks the locking/locate cradle to the back panel. A Y-axis alignment section of the locking tab is dimensioned to frictionally fit between the top and bottom of the alignment slot providing Y-axis alignment between the guide rail and the back panel. By maintaining a precise X, Y and Z-axes alignment between the guide rail and the back panel the proper alignment between the breaker primary and secondary contacts and their associated stationary primary and secondary contacts is also maintained.